Machine for the production of



Feb. 1131, I936. J A, PHILLIPS 29039317 MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTED FABRICS Original Filed May 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I n ventof L y J iPi mzz ts,

flttarne ys J. A. PHILLIPS Feb. 11?, 11936.

' MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTED FABRICS Original Filed May 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inns 11 (or J /j. Phi ll 1705,

111/01 'ue gs Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR THE PRODUGTION F KNITTED FABRICS 7 Claims.

This invention comprises improvements in machinesforthe production" of knitted fabrics and has reference to machines of the typewherein rib knitted fabrics are produced by the employzment of two setsor rows: of needlesoperating to draw thread loo ps in opposite: directions.

The:- invention that is covered by this. case is a divisionof an' application filedrby the applicant on the 3rd May 1 930 under Serial No, 449,646,

The main object ofthe present invention is toproduceon a machine of the said type a rib knitted fabric wherein the ribs of one face arecomprised of knitted loops of ground and plating threads, and the ribs of the other face are comprised solelyofiknitted loops of the ground thread about which latter loops the plating thread is looped without being-knitted;

The: said fabric may be of the single web-type or may be comprised of two ribbed webs having crossed sinkerwales; the ribs of one web being disposed in the spaces between the ribs of the other web."

According to' the present' invention a knitting machine isprovided comprising two sets or rows of needles, means for operating said needles to draw their loops in opposite directions to produce no fabric, thread feeding means for feeding ground? and plating threadsto said needles,- means for operating the needles of one set to knit the ground thread and plating thread and the needles of the other set to knit only the said ground thread, said latter needles receiving the said plat-- ing thread and casting off same with the old loops on such needles which appertain to-the last preceding course.

It is tobe clearly understood that the invention may be applied to a circular machine or a flat or straight bar machine of any type.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figures 1' and 2 are 'a' frontand plan respectively of an arrangement of needles and thread feeds according to the present invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of an alternative. arrangement to that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 5 and 6- are views, in elevation and in plan, respectively, showing the manner in which the guardretainsyarn on the needles.

The production of the improved single web plated ribbedfabric described and claimed in my 55 concurrent application for patent referred toabove, be; carried out ona circular knitting machine of the customary: typeada-pted for producing ordinaryribbe'd fabric, such a machine being? provided with a set of vertically disposed cylinder-i needlesarranged" in: apredetermined 5 o'nier'and coioperating with a predetermined ar rangemenh or: horizontally disposed needles ac commodated within radial tricks in a dial suitablysupported: concentric with the: needlecylinder; The;v needles may conveniently be oi the 10 latcirltype'and are sl-idably' operated in the well known manner-by means of f cams rotating relatively to thesaidneedlef cylmder-and dial In almachinetas above adaptedfor the produc tion ofithe said: fabric there: is one horizontal dial needle interposed: between each pair of vertical cylinder needles around: the machine, the rib loops being produced-bythe-cylinder needles and thetwal'e: lbopsby the dial needles.

Indone convenient arrangement of needles and 20 thread :feeding' devices shown: in Figures 1' and 2 the cylinder needles aredesignated I and-the dial needles are designated 2;

Theibody' or ground; thread g and the plating yarn are independently fed through suitable 5 guides 3 and; 4", at spaced: positions around the machineand any suitable: known type of thread tensioning devices-may, if desired, be employed in connection;therewith-.-

The; sequential:v operation of? the two sets of needles and: the feeding; of: the threads in the productionof: thezvfabric are as follows:-

The cylinder needles I risesas'ishown at c Figure 1: and: clear their old loops beneath their latches and: are;thenloweredltothe tucking height at D. 35

Simultaneously,v the dial needles 2 move forward. underttheinfluence: of suitable cams of the customary type untilthey' occupy the tucking position shown; at E, Figure 2, the old loops thereon-remaining over. their: latches as shown. 40:

The: dial needles arethen retracted, take the plating yarntp and; draw said: plating yarn over and between the cylinder needles at the position F, Figurev The needles 2 then again move forward; and? clear their old loops and the new platingyarrrbeneathttheir latches atthe: position G, after whiclr the dial needles are again retracted andthe cylinderineedles lowered to cause both setsofneedles to. take-and'knit the body or ground yarn g which is fed by the suitably positioned feeders: 3.

Both sets of 1 needles travel around, the machine in the. direction of the arrow X..

The thread p is plated over the thread 9 in the well known manner on the cylinder needles and covers the whole of the rib loops in the fabric, and the said yarn p is cast off with and covers the upper parts of the old wale loops or Wale loops of the last preceding course formed on the dial needles, and the said plated thread after leaving the dial needles appears on the same face of the fabric as the plated rib loops formed on the cylinder needles.

The loops of the plating thread 1) which rest loosely on the dial needles 2, when they move forward for the second time at the position G to clear their old loops and the said plating thread beneath their Iatches are retained on the needles, during such movement, by means of a smooth wire or other resilient metal guard or keeper 5 which bears against the said loose plating yarn and, as shown, extends around part of the circumference of the machine, immediately at the rear of the cylinder needles I and beneath the dial needles 2, the said keeper being supported from the dial cam box 6 or otherconvenient part of the machine.

The above sequence of operations may be repeated at one or more different positions around the machine and any suitable known types of yarn changing mechanism may be employed at the positions where the ground and/or plating yarns are fed.

In the modified arrangement of needles and yarn feeding device shown in Figures 3 and 4, the ground and plating yarns g and p are fed to the needles I and 2 through apertures I and 8 provided in a single feeder member 9 of any suitable form. The cylinder needles are raised at the position C in Figure 3 to clear their old loops in the customary manner, and are then lowered to the tucking height indicated at D the said needles being subsequently lower to take and knit both of the threads g and p. Simultaneously, the dial needles are thrown fully outwards, as shown at G in Figure 4, clear their old loops beneath their latches and are retracted to take the ground yarn g in their hooks but the plating yarn p under their latches. Both sets of needles I and 2, therefore, takeand knit the ground yarn and the cylinder needles I also knit and plate the yarn p but the said yarn p be ing received beneath the latches of the needles 2, is cast off the said needles 2, with the loops of the last preceding course, plates the upper parts of said loops and appears on the same face of the fabric as it does when it is subsequently cast off from the cylinder needles.

It has been found advantageous to position the aperture 8, through which the plating yarn p is fed to the needles, as shown, to the rear of and below the aperture 1 through which the ground thread g is fed. This ensures the plating yarn being laid upon the dial needles under the latches thereof and there is no tendency for the loose plating thread to move out of position and the necessity for the keeper member 5, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is obviated.

In a machine for producing the double fabric in which the ribs of one web are disposed between the ribs of the other, any desired even number of feeders may be provided, the feeders applying thread to the one set of needles alternating with the feeders supplying separate thread to the other set.

Each of the two sets of needles producing the improved double plated ribbed fabric. may operate in axactly the same manner as the needles hereinbefore described in connection with the production of the single web fabric as hereinbefore described the dial needles may be regarded as one set and the cylinder needles as the other set, each of the two sets of needles for producing the double web fabric is composed of alternate of both dial and cylinder needles.

I claim:--:

1. A machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabric having two sets of needles which draw their loops in opposite directions, thread feeding means for feeding a ground and a plating thread to said needles, cams for operating the needles of one set to knit the ground and plating threads and the needles of the other set to knit the said ground thread and to receive the said plating thread over their latches and means for subsequently displacing the needles of the second set to cause the said plating thread to take up a position below the said latches to be cast off with the old loops on the said needles.

2. A machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabric having two, sets of needles which draw their loops in opposite directions, thread feeding means for feeding ground andv plating threads to said needles, means for operating the needles of one set to knit the ground and plating threads and the needles of the other set to knit only the ground thread, said latter needles receiving the said plating thread but casting off same with their old loops, and the needles of one set being operated to draw an equal amount of plating and ground thread and to form loops of both threads and the needles of the other set being operated to form loops of ground thread only.

3. A machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabric having two sets of needles which draw their loops in opposite directions, thread feeding means for feeding ground and plating threads to said needles, cams for operating the needles of one set to knit the ground and plating threads, and the needles of the other set to knit the said ground thread and to receive the said plating thread but to cast off the said plating thread with their old loops, and a keeper member positioned at the rear of the needles of the first named set and beneath the needles of the second named set for assisting in retaining loose loops of plating thread upon the needles of said second set and means co-acting with and operating upon the plating thread to draw loops of such threads upon the needles of the second set and maintain said loops upon said needles during the projection thereof.

4. A machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabric having a set of vertically disposed cylinder needles and a second set of horizontally disposed dial needles, thread feeding means for feeding ground and plating threads to said needies, the cylinder needles being operated to knit the ground and plating threads, the dial needles being operated to knit the said ground thread and to receive the said plating thread with their old loops, and a keeper member positioned at the rear of the cylinder needles and beneath the dial needles adapted to retain loose loops of the plating thread upon the dial needles subsequent to the said plating thread being. laid upon the said dial needles and prior to the said thread being cast off said needles with their old loops.

5. A machine for the production of a plated double ribbed fabric, having two sets of latch needles which draw their loops in opposite directions, means for advancing the needles of one set to clear their old loops below the latches and for simultaneously advancing the second set to a tucking position, a thread feeder for feeding a plating thread to the needles, means for moving the first set to tucking heights and for moving the second set simultaneously to draw the plating thread between the needles of the first set, a keeper member positioned at the rear of the needles of the first set and beneath the needles of the second set, said keeper functioning to retain loose loops of the plating thread upon the needles of the second set, means for advancing the needles of the second set to clear their old loops and the plating thread below their latches, a thread feeder for feeding a ground thread to both sets of needles, and means for then causing both sets of needles to knit both threads.

6. A machine for the production of plated double ribbed fabric, having two sets of latch needles which draw their loops in opposite directions, means for moving the needles of both sets to clear their loops substantially simultaneously, thread feeders for feeding a ground thread and a plating thread to the needles, means for moving the needles of one set to draw and measure an equal amount of both ground and plating thread and to form loops of both threads and for moving the needles of the other set to form loops of ground thread and to receive the plating thread beneath the latches and for subsequently knitting the ground thread but casting off the plating thread with loops of a preceding course.

7. A machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabric having two sets of needles which draw their loops in opposite directions, thread feeding means for feeding a main and an auxiliary thread to said needles, cams for operating the needles of one set to knit the main and auxiliary threads and the needles of the other set to knit the said main thread and to receive the said auxiliary thread over their latches and means for subsequently displacing the needles of the second set to cause the said auxiliary thread to take up a position below the said latches to be cast off with the old loops on the said needles.

JOHN ARCHIBALD PHILLIPS. 

